Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality executive mayor, Gary van Niekerk, has supported the declaration and development of the Van Der Kemps Kloof Park in Bethelsdorp as a nature reserve, to boost tourism and protect bio-diversity and ecological resources in the area.
During a site visit and engagement session with NMBM officials and the Public Health standing committee on Friday to discuss the development plans for the area, the mayor said that he was in full support of the continuation of the declaration process of the Van Der Kemps Kloof Nature Reserve as a protected area in line with the terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act.
“A report seeking approval for the continuation of the declaration process was withdrawn in council recently on my request. We needed to engage and understand the full plan for such a sacred area. We do not want the declaration to only mean that there is a billboard that states that the area is a nature reserve, we need actual development in the area. It is certainly a treasured space by the Northern Areas residents,” he said.
“Every year on Heritage Day our people come out in numbers to celebrate their culture and heritage in that space. It is a space that needs to be developed and protected, and that work will start with the declaration, but it must not end there. We must also work together to root out the criminal elements that are sometimes found in the park. We would prefer for this area to have a positive impact on its people, young and old. We will table the item in the council again soon.”
Following council approval, the declaration application will be submitted to the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment for final approval and declaration.
The Van Der Kemps Kloof is approximately 3 000 hectares on municipal land, and conserving biodiversity in the area contributes to the achievement of the municipality’s conservation targets.
The biological diversity in the area includes:
– A complex, yet diverse mosaic of fynbos and sub-tropical thicket vegetation types;
– The striking presence of the Red Data Book Species, Strelitzia juncea, commonly known as the Craneflower
– A diverse herpetofauna of approximately 56 species (Red Data Book species include the bullfrog and the Egyptian cobra)
– 18 Endemic and five near-endemic bird species
– At least three red data book mammal species, namely the least dwarf shrew, the lesser woolly bat and the blue duiker;
– Riverbeds supporting a number of permanent open water and wetland areas comprising of unique biodiversity.
Public Health Mayoral Committee Member, Councillor Thsonono Buyeye, said that declaring the area a nature reserve is essential as it will only allow uses compatible with conservation, but also provide significant legal protection for bio-diversity in the reserve.
“In doing so, the municipality will safeguard this ecological resource for the enjoyment of the public, and more importantly for future generations. Studies were undertaken to reconcile other land uses with those of conservation within the domain of the nature reserve. These studies also identify where eco-tourism facilities and amenities can be located so as to improve the tourism viability of the area, improving the revenue allocated to the management of the area. Furthermore, eco-tourism development unlocks an array of beneficial opportunities for neighbouring disadvantaged communities, thereby fulfilling the municipality’s IDP objectives such as direct access to job opportunities,” added Buyeye.
